Critics condemn Biden’s last-minute push to lower cigarette nicotine levels

WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, A REGULATORY REVIEW PROPOSES THAT NICOTINE LEVELS IN CIGARETTES BE MANDATED AND LOWERED. THE PLAN IS GETTING ACCOLADES FROM ANTI-TOBACCO ADVOCATES, WHILE OTHERS ARE INTERPRETING IT AS ESSENTIALLY A BAN ON CIGARETTES, THAT WOULD EXACERBATE THE BLACK MARKET ON AMERICAN STREETS
THE PROPOSAL, WHICH CLEARED AN OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET REVIEW, PAVES THE WAY FOR THE HEAD OF THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, ROBERT CALIFF, TO ISSUE THE RULE BEFORE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ENDS ON JANUARY 20TH.
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVOCATES BELIEVE SETTING A NICOTINE STANDARD WOULD BE A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD BECAUSE CURRENTLY, NO LIMITS EXIST.
ACCORDING TO A RECENT “NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY”, 11.6% OF AMERICAN ADULTS USE CIGARETTES. CDC FIGURES SHOW AN ESTIMATED 480,000 AMERICANS DIE EVERY YEAR DUE TO TOBACCO USE, WITH CIGARETTES BEING A LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH.
FDA COMMISSIONER CALIFF SAID BACK IN 2022, “LOWERING NICOTENE LEVELS TO MINIMALLY ADDICTIVE OR NON-ADDITIVE LEVELS WOULD DECREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME ADDICTED TO CIGARETTES AND HELP MORE CURRENTLY ADDICTED SMOKERS TO QUIT. “
HOWEVER, CRITICS OF THE RULE SAY IT WILL CAUSE CURRENT SMOKERS TO USE MORE CIGARETTES TO COMPENSATE FOR LOWER NICOTINE LEVELS, FURTHER HARMING THEIR HEALTH. THE FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES, RICH MARIANOS,TOLD FOX NEWS A NICOTINE BAN WOULD BE A GIFT TO ORGANIZED CRIME, SUCH AS CARTELS. HE SAID, “ ITS GOING TO KEEP AMERICA SMOKING, AND ITS GOING TO MAKE THE STREETS MORE VIOLENT. “ OTHER CRITICS ESTIMATE THE BLACK MARKET FOR CIGARETTES WOULD BE WORTH TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
MANY CIGARETTE USERS HAVE ALREADY TRANSITIONED TO OTHER NICOTENE DELIVERY OPTIONS THAT ARE BELIEVED TO POSE FEWER HEALTH RISKS, SUCH AS E-CIGS. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION WILL ISSUE THE NEW RULE BEFORE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ENDS.
ANY PROPOSED RULE WOULD BE FOLLOWED A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO PRESENT THEIR ARGUMENTS. A FINAL DECISION WHICH WOULD THEN COME FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.